Fiat's new compact ute design revealed

Tuesday, 7 April 2020

Fiat is gearing up to launch the new version of its Strada compact pick-up in South America. It was actually meant to debut this month but old mate COVID-19 has snuffed those plans.

However, thanks to filings with Brazil's National Institute of Industrial Property, we can see the exterior design of the ute before it arrives in full.

The images, discovered by Motor1.com Brazil, show a svelte workhorse with narrow headlights and low-mounted foglights. A few different versions were shown, the base coming with a black front bumper and steel wheels.

Fiat is preparing a new compact ute for South America. Reckon it should come here too or is there no room in the local market?

Another version has a body-colour bumper and aluminium wheels while a third variant looks like it gets LED headlights, more trim around the lower parts of the doors, snazzier wheels and roof racks.

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We don't have full specs yet, just the exterior design. The Strada won't be a powerhouse but that might be a good thing for those needing a reliable workhorse over performance.

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The base model has steel wheels and no frills while the top-spec variant will get LED headlights, snazzy aluminium wheels and roof racks.

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Under the hood is expected to be a humble 1.4-litre engine with 65kW and a turbocharged (we presume) 1.3-litre donk with 80kW. Both units will connect to a five speed manual by default while a CVT will also be offered. A 1.0-litre turbochaged engine was also mentioned but no details offered.

No images of the interior are available either.

Unfortunately, it looks like we'll be waiting a bit to get the full lowdown on the new Strada. According to Motor1, FCA still needs to reopen its manufacturing plants, as do suppliers.

When it does debut, it almost certainly won't make it here either. Kiwis looking for a smaller ute than the current offerings will want to look out for the upcoming Renault Oroch. Ford may also join the fray with the reborn Courier, although that's less certain.

The Oroch will come measuring 4700mm long, 1822mm wide and 1694mm high, yet with enough interior space for four adult occupants. The wheelbase has been stretched by 155mm to allow the 1175mm-by-1135mm tray, which has a load capacity of 650kg/680 litres.

Powertrain options include 1.6-litre four-cylinder or a 2.0-litre four-cylinder, both fed by petrol.

Overseas markets get the option of a manual or automatic transmission but Kiwi buyers will likely only be offered the auto. Power is sent exclusively to the front wheels, with no all-wheel drive model mooted. Hopefully we'll see it here next year.